CHICAGO -- Ric Rhinehart, executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (Long Beach, CA), will deliver the keynote address at this year's Coffee, Tea and Water confab. The event, sponsored by the National Automatic Merchandising Association, is set for the New Orleans (LA) Hyatt Regency hotel from Nov. 13 through 15 (Tuesday-Thursday).

Rhinehart will offer his insights on "Key Trends in Specialty Coffee" at the conference. "In an increasingly volatile coffee world, engaging consumers where they are is critical for success," the SCAA executive noted. "I will speak to coffee quality and the consumer experience, and the implications for consumption, growth and value."

Rhinehart, who became executive director of SCAA in 2008, brought two decades' experience in coffee roasting and tea packing to the post. He had been president of a West Coast roaster and retailer; he has designed, developed and produced a variety of tea and coffee products; and he is co-author with his wife, Wendy Rasmussen, of Tea Basics (John Wiley & Sons, 1998).

The SCAA executive has also been a director for Coffee Kids, the Coffee Quality Institute, World Coffee Research and World Coffee Events. Rhinehart was a founding member of the American Premium Tea Institute, where he served on the board of directors and as president.